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Jimmy’s Beard Maintenance tips

It’s coming up to four years since I started growing my beard (April 2018) so I thought I would share some knowledge & wisdom I’ve learnt over the years on how I’ve maintained my pride and joy so that you can maintain yours. These tips are if you want a full natural beard like mine.

With great beard comes great responsibility!

No two beards are the same, although one thing they all have in common is that they have to be cared for. It’s nothing new that beards have gotten a bad rap in the past. From homeless , to rebels, to hippies, to the “they must be unemployed”. I think it’s nice that the world is now embracing beards. I didn’t choose Beard Life, Beard life chose me. So I have a responsibility to maintain it.

Beard Trimming

I didn’t have a beard trim until a full 3 years natural growth. Honestly. When I decided to grow a beard I started from scratch. I literely clean shaved. I never knew how my beard would grow because I had never grew one before. What I did know before I started growing one is that I had quite thick and even facial hair growth. I knew by how often I had to shave that it was pretty much growing everywhere & fast. I knew it wouldn’t be patchy. I then just let it grow. The only reason why I decided to get a beard trim is because I was about to star in some television and I just wanted it to look more even for the cameras. I instructed my hairdresser to just get rid of the dead hairs.

Be careful with peoples advice/opinions.

I had so many people tell me over the years that it needed a trim, from my best friends to my hairdresser to my co-workers, its amazing how many people will freely throw their opinions at you and how you should manage your beard, when in fact they’ve never even had a beard before and most likely never will. Thankfully I didn’t listen. I just wanted to see how my beard would grow if I just let nature do its work. I’ll be honest there were a few awkward stages, my cheek hair grew/fluffed outwards at first, It is also the slowest growing for me. I managed to sort this out by brushing my beard down every day, eventually when the hairs are long enough gravity will work its magic. Do take advice from other bearded men, the most trusted type.

Products.

Over the years I’ve used pretty much everything from a range of expensive beard oil brands to cheap ones to just plain oils. I’ve got to be honest, beard oils are great if you want the smells that come with them and the fancy bottles/ price tags. I’ve tried and tested everything and what works for me and my skin, beard & budget is organic coconut oil. I swear by this. I also love the smell of coconut. It gives me the right amount of shine and moisture. Argon oil is ok in small doses. I find it too shiny.

Moustache.

I left my moustache to grow for 3 years too. It got to a point where it was so long it would just naturally go to either side and not bother me when I eat. I trained it to do this. pulling it to either side everyday it would eventually grow in that direction away from your lips. My moustache is my least favourite feature, it is the slowest growing, it is more course and also a different colour. I tried to style it a few times, It takes to much time for me and I am a perfectionist so if one side wasn’t the same as the other I’d get frustrated. I now just get my hairdresser to cut above my lips so you can see my smile.

Itchiness.

Over the years I have suffered with Itchy beard a dozen times! The truth is that the beard follicles are thirsty buggers! They actually soak up your faces natural oils. This is what can also causes itchiness.Theres no worse feeling, It really makes me want to just get a chainsaw and cut off my beard. I’ve managed to work out why I get this over the years. It turns out I like to have really really hot showers. The hot water on your skin can dry it out causing it to itch and flake. Also If I don’t dry my beard properly after a shower it can dry my skin out. Also I don’t recommend using regular shampoo for your beard. If that gets on your skin it can react also! You can then be left with a dry itchy flakey beard for the next week! not fun. If this happens to you get some coconut oil on it. I dry off my beard with a hairdryer on no heat function.

Malting?

Its perfectly normal to loose beard follicles everyday! This can be quite upsetting at first as you pick up the hair and say that little baby took 24months to grow RIP follicle. The truth is though you just notice them more as the months go by as they are longer obviously. Diet , stress & the type of brush you use can determine just how many you lose. I use a Boar brush. I’ve used it from the start.

Conclusion

Beard life has many pros, it brings a lot of smiles to peoples faces. It’s a great conversation starter. I find more men worship it then women!

So you want to grow a beard? It’s so simple. Ditch those overpriced razors and just stop shaving. My only regret is that I didn’t start growing a beard sooner! I was always in jobs dealing with the public that preferred neat appearances. When working in the USA I had to be clean shaven for one of my jobs. I hated this. I look like a 16 year old when I shave. People DO treat you different. They talk down to you, don’t respect you as much. I now made a promise to myself and my beard that we will never let anyone tell us how to live our lives. We shall not shave for a job, we shall let the universe adapt to us, not us adapting to it.